Power Engineering articles from March 2005

Power Engineering archives from March 2005

The energy policy graveyard.(OPINION)(Electric power distribution)
March 1, 2005... In his State of the Union speech on February 2, President Bush urged Congress to pass legislation that "makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy." He reminded Congress that he had submitted a comprehensive energy strategy...

On-site hydrogen production means more than convenience.(UPDATE)
March 1, 2005... Hydrogen is the overwhelming medium of choice for providing cooling to high-speed turbine generators. Hydrogen has a high heat capacity and therefore removes excess heat efficiently. Hydrogen also has a very low viscosity, thus allowing higher...

Mercury reduction technology shows promise for Texas lignite.(UPDATE)
March 1, 2005... Mercury control regulations being promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency will pose especially formidable challenges to utilities burning Texas lignite due to its inherently high levels of mercury compared to other coals. Mercury in...

Updated wireless services improve plant communication.(UPDATE)
March 1, 2005... The ubiquitous cell phone continues to relentlessly replace land phones, land mobile radios and PDAs, watches, cameras, calendars, recorders and notebooks. Cellular communication is also being adapted to a wide variety of commercial and...

PPL to spend $630 million on pollution control.(UPDATE)(install wet scrubbers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Allentown, Pa.-based PPL Corporation has announced plans to install wet scrubbers on both generating units at its Montour plant (two 770 MW units) and on the largest unit of its Brunner Island plant (750 MW). The scrubbers are expected to...

Overspeed trip bolts are going digital.(UPDATE)
March 1, 2005... It wasn't too long ago that a request to a power engineer to remove the overspeed trip bolt on a gas or steam turbine would have been greeted with a look of stunned disbelief. After all, this mechanical device is the last protection against...

ABB Canada.(appoints Sandy Taylor)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Sandy Taylor has been named president and country manager of ABB Canada. He will continue as global business unit manager, oil and gas, for the automation technologies division.

Wood Group.(appoints Mark Papworth)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mark Papworth has been appointed COO for the eastern hemisphere for Wood Group's gas turbine services division. He was most recently COO and EVP of Rolls-Royce Energy.

Power Measurement.(appoints Bryan Taylor)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Power Measurement has named Bryan Taylor regional sales manager for the western United States. The company provides advanced energy meters and software for commercial, industrial, institutional and utility applications.

Zolo Technologies.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(appointment of Michael Cuypers )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Michael Cuypers has been named director of customer implementation for Zolo Technologies, responsible for all customer contact relating to technical, installation, acceptance testing, maintenance, and services issues.

NEI.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(appointment of Frank Bowman at Nuclear Energy Institute)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Retired Navy Admiral Frank Bowman is the new president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, succeeding Joe Colvin, who retired after nine years as NEI's top executive.

Tramont.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(apointment of Sean McGowan)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Sean McGowan has been appointed president of Tramont, manufacturer of diesel fuel tanks and sub-base tanks for industrial engine-generators.

Exelon Generation.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... John F. Young, executive vice president of Exelon and president of Exelon Generation, has been appointed executive vice president, finance and markets for Exelon. Jack Skolds, executive vice president of Exelon and president, Exelon Energy...

DTE Energy Co.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(appointment of William Mallory )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... William Mallory has been named vice president of environmental engineering and construction for DTE Energy Co. In this newly created position, Mallory will oversee major environmental construction and performance contracts at DTE Energy's...

Alliance Wood Group.(PERSONNEL & PROMOTIONS)(appointment of Terrance N. Ivers )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Alliance Wood Group Engineering, a subsidiary of international energy services company John Wood Group PLC, has appointed Terrance N. Ivers executive vice president.

ALSTOM.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(WE Power's heat recovery steam generators' contract )
March 1, 2005... ALSTOM has won a contract to design, manufacture and supply two heat recovery steam generators for two GE7FA gas turbines at WE Power's Port Washington Combined-Cycle Power Plant in Wisconsin.

American Superconductor.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Nebraska Public Power District's Ainsworth Wind Turbine Project )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... American Superconductor's D-VAR voltage regulation system will be used to interconnect Nebraska Public Power District's Ainsworth Wind Turbine Project to the transmission grid. The project will include 36 Vestas V82 wind turbines with an...

North American Energy Services Company.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... North American Energy Services Company is providing operations and maintenance services to the 720 MW Granite Ridge combined-cycle plant in Londonderry, N.H.

GE Energy.(T.J. Labbe and Hargis-Hebert generating stations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... GE Energy will supply four Frame 7FA gas turbines, two steam turbines and additional equipment and services for a 1,135 MW combined-cycle plant to be built for the municipality of Tamazunchale in the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, scheduled...

Allegheny Ludlum.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Allegheny Ludlum has received a subcontract from the University of Pittsburgh with support from DOE aimed at creating critical interconnect materials for solid oxide fuel cells.

HF Controls Corporation.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... HF Controls Corporation, a subsidiary of Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, has received a contract valued at $3.9 million for three control systems. The ECS-1200 platform for BMS and boiler safety related controls will be supplied on...

Foster Wheeler North America.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(SNC-Lavalin Power )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Foster Wheeler North America has been awarded a contract valued in excess of $18 million by SNC-Lavalin Power to design and supply a 55 MW boiler for Fibrominn LLC's green energy project in Benson, Minnesota, the first U.S. power plant to use...

Xcel Energy.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Xcel Energy has begun negotiations with three wind-power developers to add approximately 400 MW of wind power to its electricity generating mix in Colorado.

Westinghouse Electric Company.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Westinghouse Electric Company has received a contract valued at more than $10 million to design and manufacture a rapid refueling package before replacement of the reactor vessel head at Omaha Public Power District's Fort Calhoun Station. The...

Fuel-Tech.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Fuel-Tech has received orders for a NOxOUT SNCR system on a new coal-fired industrial boiler in the Northeast, an upgrade of an existing SNCR system for the repowering of a pulverized coal boiler to a circulating fluidized bed boiler, a...

Alliance Wood Group Engineering.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Alliance Wood Group Engineering has received a contract for the engineering, design, drafting, material and equipment procurement, construction, commissioning, and start-up of Brazos Electric Cooperative's fuel gas compressor station in Jack...

AREVA.(CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... AREVA's joint subsidiary with Siemens, Framatome ANP Inc., has been awarded contracts by American Electric Power to supply and install replacement reactor vessel closure heads and control rod drive mechanisms for D.C. Cook nuclear power plant...

Fitch confirms continued strong outlook for coal.(UPDATE)(coal's prices)
March 1, 2005... Fitch reported in late January that the U.S. coal industry's sharp rebound in 2004, reflected in spot price increases for many grades of coal, will continue its momentum in the coming year. While prices for coal vary depending on energy...

H System's U.S. debut will be in California.(UPDATE)(Inland Empire Energy Center)
March 1, 2005... The Inland Empire Energy Center in Riverside County, California, will be the first site in North America to utilize the 60-Hertz version of GE's latest and most advanced gas turbine technology--the H System. The new power plant, developed by...

Consortium will explore new Virginia coal plant.(UPDATE)(Virginia Municipal Electric Association)(Blue Ridge Power Agency)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Electric utilities in Virginia have formed a consortium to explore development of a new coal-fired power plant that would be located in the southwest portion of the state. The consortium is comprised of Dominion, American Electric Power's...

Dominion Virginia Power.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Dominion Virginia Power will buy a 181 MW dual-fueled combustion turbine peaking plant in Roanoke Rapids, N.C. from Panda-Rosemary LP.

Brascan Power and Emera.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Brascan Power and Emera will acquire the 589 MW Bear Swamp pumped storage hydro-electric generating facility in northern Massachusetts. The facility sells energy to the New England Power Pool. Also included in the acquisition is the nearby 10...

Black & Veatch.(acquisitions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Black & Veatch has completed the acquisition of R.J. Rudden Associates and Lukens Energy Group.

Primary Energy Holdings.(Reservoir Capital Group)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Primary Energy Holdings has completed acquisition of six combined heat and power facilities with a total capacity of 270 MW and almost 1.7 million lb/hr of steam located in California, Colorado and New Jersey from Reservoir Capital Group.

AES.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(AES acquires Sea West Holdings)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... AES has acquired Sea West Holdings, parent company to Sea-West WindPower.

Siemens Energy & Automation.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Siemens Energy & Automation has completed the sale of its custom electronic circuit board manufacturing business located in Johnson City, Tennessee and South Lebanon, Ohio to EPIC Technologies.

On the morning of December 30 during its 712th day of continuous operation.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... On the morning of December 30 during its 712th day of continuous operation, TVA's Widows Creek Unit 3 established a new record for continuous operation among all comparable U.S. coal-fired plants, surpassing the previous record set by Toledo...

Framatome ANP and Exelon.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(contracts)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Framatome ANP and Exelon have agreed to resume fuel supply activities, including a contract extension for six additional reload batches for La Salle Units 1 and 2. The agreement is the culmination of a long technical collaboration between...

Solar Energy Industries Association.(BUSINESS BRIEFS )(Our Solar Power Future: The U.S. Photovoltaic Industry Roadmap for 2030 and Beyond)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Noting that the United States has lagged behind Europe and Japan in solar industry manufacturing and deployment, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has issued a report titled Our Solar Power Future: The U.S. Photovoltaic Industry...

AREVA.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... has formed The New Plants Deployment team to focus on the future need for commercial nuclear generation in North America. The team will lead the North American deployment of the EPR advanced pressurized water reactor design and support the...

Peabody Energy.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Peabody Energy is the winning bidder for 327 million tons of ultra-low sulfur coal reserves in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. The West Roundup reserve, combined with existing Peabody reserves north of the North Antelope Rochelle Mine,...

American Wind Energy Association.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The American Wind Energy Association reports the U.S. wind energy industry added 389 MW of new generation in 2004, bringing total utility-scale wind installations in 30 states at year-end to 6,740 MW.

Nuke plants: secure and more secure.(NUCLEAR REACTIONS)(Nuclear power plant security )
March 1, 2005... Nuclear power plant security became a "hot button" public issue in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. That may have been with good reason. National security reporter Bill Gertz notes that, in 2002, English...

Coal gasification: striking while the iron is hot; Despite many challenges, IGCC proponents believe the time is right for this promising clean coal technology to make its mark as a viable commercial generation option.(FOSSIL POWER)(integrated gasification combined-cycle)(Cover Story)
March 1, 2005... With support from nearly every corner of the power sector, integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) technology stands poised to capitalize on its ample potential. Major challenges remain to bring costs down, improve availability and...

House calls: an expanding array of machining options, including stationary journal machining, now make it possible to perform turbine repairs on-site. The big advantages are reduced cost and shortened outages.(TURBINE REPAIR)
March 1, 2005... Once upon a time, they say, doctors made house calls, arriving, black bag in hand, to take your temperature and dispense needed pills. Today, the visiting doctor is as elusive as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. Sure, we may have seen this...

Great balls of fire: turbine lube oil fires can be physically and financially devastating, but they don't have to be. Proper fire protection can safeguard a facility from such fires.(TURBINE FIRE PROTECTION)
March 1, 2005... Picture two home improvement superstores, side by side. Imagine an open-floor turbine building that size. Now, imagine burning it to the ground. At today's average value of $2,200 per square foot, you'd be looking at nearly $410 million going...

Virtual verification: a real-time chemistry monitoring system is being used at the Waterford 3 nuclear plant to "virtually" verify instrument data.(WATER TREATMENT)
March 1, 2005... Effective water treatment at power plants depends on accurate sample analysis and instrumentation. At many plants, weekly manual instrument verification is performed to ensure such accuracy. Software solutions are now available, however, that...

Pounds of prevention: the cost of backup power system failure is greater than preventing it.(SMALL-SCALE POWER)
March 1, 2005... During the massive power failure in August 2003 that affected much of the Northeast, Midwest and parts of Canada, owners and operators of hundreds of small scale power systems found that their emergency systems either failed completely or...

Battery monitoring simplifies UPS maintenance/improves reliability.(NEWS & VIEWS ON DISTRIBUTED GENERATION)
March 1, 2005... Despite its critical importance, the battery system is easily the most vulnerable component of a UPS system. Unlike other UPS components, batteries degrade relatively quickly, and often unpredictably, over time. As a result, battery...

Events.(Electric utilities)(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... APRIL 3-7, Corrosion/2005, NACE International--The Corrosion Society (www.nace.org/corrosion2005), Houston, Texas 5-6, Mercury & Multi-Emissions Compliance, American Coal Council (www.americancoalcouncil.org), St. Louis, Mo. 6-8,...

Basalt-lined ash pipe still in service after nearly four decades.(FIELD NOTES)
March 1, 2005... INSTALLED IN 1968, most of the original 840 feet of basalt-lined pipe that carries abrasive coal slurry is still in use at Conectiv Energy's B.L. England Station in Beesley's Point, N.J. By installing the pipe just a few years after the plant...

Cleaning things up in the capital: Mirant plant addresses water quality issues to prevent pump burn out.(FIELD NOTES)
March 1, 2005... IF YOU LOOK OUT the window while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, you will see Mirant Corp.'s Potomac River Generating Plant. Since 1949, this facility has provided power to Washington D.C., and the surrounding area. "We run...

Financing renewables in competitive electricity markets.(VIEW ON RENEWABLES)(renewable energy certificates )(renewable portfolio standards )
March 1, 2005... Retail competition was meant to usher in a new era for the power industry, and renewable energy figured prominently in many state restructuring plans. Specifically, retail competition was expected to allow customer demand for green power to...

Backup power.(PRODUCTS)
March 1, 2005... Russelectric custom designs and manufactures low- and medium-voltage on-site backup power systems with single and multiple generators that will automatically pick up critical loads if normal power is lost. To ensure a continuous power flow,...

Abrasion compound.(PRODUCTS)
March 1, 2005... WearGuard High Impact from Devcon is a new, high-density epoxy putty for repairing and protecting equipment subject to extreme impact, flexing or abrasion. A special non-VOC formulation containing a flexible acrylate and micro-alumina ceramic...

Emissions management software.(PRODUCTSZA)
March 1, 2005... Augusta Systems has announced the release of Ecolytics, a comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management software tool. Ecolytics is scalable and flexible to meet the needs of organizations of differing sizes and can be easily...

Flowmeter.(PRODUCTS)
March 1, 2005... Universal Flow Monitors Inc. has introduced a new and improved Coolpoint vortex shedding flowmeter for measuring and monitoring water flows. Coolpoint is used to measure flow rate in dilution water and similar water treatment applications....

Gaseous pollutant analyzers.(PRODUCTS)
March 1, 2005... Thermo Electron has unveiled its new iSeries line of gaseous pollutant analyzers. This latest line, with monitoring capabilities for a broad range of gaseous pollutants, was introduced to enhance the many capabilities of Thermo's popular...

Unit train batch loading system.(PRODUCTS)
March 1, 2005... PEBCO Inc., in collaboration with FGR Automation & Controls, has developed a fully automated train batch weighing and loading system. This system has been successfully implemented on a variety of materials including coal and coke. Trains pass...

Level measurement CD-ROM.(PRODUCTS)
March 1, 2005... The latest edition of AMETEK Drexelbrook's product catalog on CD-ROM is now available. The new electronic catalog is designed with the customer in mind, offering product bid specifications, agency approval information, product data sheets,...

Boilers.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Trailer-Mounted, 750 psi Superheat Mobile Boilers Available Up To 75,000 lb/hr [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The need for a temporary superheat steam supply is now available as a self-contained, trailer-mounted unit. This major advance in...

Bolt Meter.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Norbar USA Incorporated introduces its USM-2 Ultrasonic Bolt Meter for precise measurement of elongation and load in threaded fasteners. The compact, lightweight, field-portable unit operates on (4) standard "C" cell alkaline batteries, weighs...

Carbon Sensor.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Mettler-Toledo Thornton announces the release of the THORNTON Total Organic Carbon (TOC) SENSOR with their 770MAX multiparameter instrument. The THORNTON 770MAX is the first on-line transmitter to offer MULTIPLE TOC and conductivity...

Control valves.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... The Young & Franklin 9200 Series Isolation Valves are high temperature fast acting valves ( [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] www.yf.com/9200 Circle 119

Controls.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... The Reduced Bore DigitalYEWFLO vortex flowmeter eliminates the need for costly sections of reducing runs normally required to increase the volocity through the meter for more stable, accurate measurements at low flows. Now these reductions are...

Couplings.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Peace of mind in the knowledge that replacement parts will fit like a glove, avoiding lengthy shutdown times and the possibility of lost revenue. For reliability and longevity, the maintenance crew can rely on the Lovejoy 1000 Series Grid...

Emmissions monitoring.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... CEMS UPTIME--SERIOUS BUSINESS. For over 30 years Teledyne Monitor Labs has been the benchmark for quality in Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) products and services. With the largest strategically based service staff in the...

Flame scanner.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... New SmartScan[TM] 121 microprocessor flame scanner from Hamworthy Peabody Combustion accurately and reliably senses the presence and condition of flames in coal, oil, gas, solid and nonstandard fuel scanning. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] *...

Flow testing.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... 3D Duct Velocity Traverses Airflow Sciences Corporation has developed a data acquisition system and software tailored to performing duct and stack volumetric flow measurements according to EPA Methods 2, 2F, 2G and 2H. The 3DDAS[TM] system...

Gas analyzers.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Thermo Electron Corporation launches iSeries line of gaseous pollutant analyzers. This line, with monitoring capabilities for a broad range of pollutants, has been introduced to enhance the many capabilities of Thermo's popular cSeries line of...

Gas turbine gensets.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Low-BTU fuel powers new Cummins generator sets [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new GQ Series generator sets from Cummins Power Generation are designed to run on low-BTU fuels such as dilute methane gas produced by landfills and sewage...

Gas turbines.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... GE Energy is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation technology, energy services and management systems, with an installed base of power generation equipment in more than 120 countries. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GE Energy...

Loadbanks.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... LOADBANK SALES & RENTALS WORLDWIDE AVAILABILITY United States, Europe, The Far East New and Used Loadbank sales * Resistive & Reactive * Ultra Compact & Portable * Advanced Remote Controls & Monitoring * 1000 kw to 55...

Metallurgical Services.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Power Systems now offers a full range of Metallurgical Services designed to identify the root cause of failures and provide viable, high performance solutions. Our world-class engineers perform failure analysis, metallography, and verification...

Pulverizer parts.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Techinomics manufactures high-efficiency pulverizer replacement parts for coal-fired power plants. This includes Stationary and Rotating Throat Assemblies for MPS-89 pulverizers and fully automatic pyrites handling systems. [ILLUSTRATION...

Pumps.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Nagle Pump and Pontoon/Float Vertical Cantilever Pump or Submersible Pump 1" to 10" discharge size 10gpm to 3000gpm [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Custom materials available Nagle Pumps Phone 708-754-2940 Fax 708-754-2944...

Software, plant performance.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASEQN)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... * Cost-effective, industry-standard performance test procedures and calculation templates (Excel) for: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Boiler & Air Heaters (Coal/Oil/Gas) * Compressors & Pumps * Condensers & Feedwater Heaters *...

UPS system.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... (Peoria, Ill.)--Caterpillar Inc. introduces new 1200 kVA/960kW 60 HZ Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) System with Kinetic Power Cell Technology, combining the industry's smallest footprint with superior capacity and performance. 97% total...

Videoscope.(SUPPLIER'S SHOWCASE)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Model 128000 Industrial Articulating Videoscope Kit [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed with rugged tungsten probe jackets to withstand the harsh environment of the turbo-machinery world, these articulating flexible videoscopes deliver...

Workin' on the railroad.(efun@pe.laf)
March 1, 2005... Benny wanted a job as a signalman on the railroad. At his interview, the inspector asked him this question: "What would you do if you saw two trains heading for each other on the same track?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Benny replied, "I...